Arundo plant named &#39;Nile Fiber&#39;

ABSTRACT

Arundo donax  ‘Nile Fiber’ is a new and unique cultivar characterized by its lack of serrated leaf margins, vigorous growth, dark purple bands below node sections, thick wall, ease in propagation, and usefulness in biomass production such as producing superior fiber for making pulp and paper.

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Arundo donax

VARIETY DONOMINATION

‘Nile Fiber’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Arundodonax and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘NileFiber’. ‘Nile Fiber’ represents a new cultivar of giant reed grown forlandscape and biomass production.

The inventors discovered and selected the new cultivar, ‘Nile Fiber’, ina cultivated garden in Kamuela, Hi. in 2007. ‘Nile Fiber’ was discoveredas a naturally occurring cane sport of Arundo donax. Initially, a smallcane sport was discovered that was green with a small purple band justbelow the node and lacking serration along the leaf margin. Subsequentcane cuttings were performed and reselected until the new cultivar wasselected with a purple band just below the node and leaf margins withoutserrated edges. ‘Nile Fiber’ is unique and unlike any other knowncultivars of Arundo donax known to the inventor.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by canecuttings or ramet culture in Kailua-Kona, Hi. in 2007 by the inventor.The resulting more than 2000 propagules all showed no variations fromthe parental stock and exhibited the same robust characteristics as theparental stock. The characteristics of this cultivar have beendetermined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Nile Fiber’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Arundo plant:

1. The foliage of ‘Nile Fiber’ lack serrated leaf margins. Typically,heavily serrated leaf margins are found with other ecotypes of Arundodonax.

2. ‘Nile Fiber’ has almost twice as much growth as other ecotypes ofArundo donax. The growth habit of ‘Nile Fiber’ is clump-forming with afountain-shaped bushy appearance. The growth rate of ‘Nile Fiber’ can be12 feet of vertical growth in 25 days. ‘Nile Fiber’ reaches about 8 to10 meters in height with a spread of 3 to 5 meters in 2 to 3 years whenplanted from a single billet section.

3. ‘Nile Fiber’ has a dark purple band below each node section wheretypically a green band is found in standard ecotypes of Arundo donax.

4. Wall thickness of ‘Nile Fiber’ tends to be twice as much as standardecotypes of Arundo donax.

5. ‘Nile Fiber’ yields superior fiber for use in pulp and paper tostandard ecotypes of Arundo donax.

6. ‘Nile Fiber’ is easier to propagate with at least 95% germinationrates of nodal sections and ramets for the entire culm length thanstandard ecotypes of Arundo donax. Typical germination rates forecotypes of Arundo donax range from 25-35%. ‘Nile Fiber’ shows a markedincrease in nodal section germination rates when compared with otherecotypes and cultivars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Arundo donax cultivar ‘NileFiber.’

The photograph on FIG. 1 is a side view of the overall growth of ‘NileFiber.’ The plants used for this photograph reached 10 or more feet in28 days after grown in soil from billet sections.

The photograph on FIG. 2 is a close-up view of a leaf showing lack ofserration of leaf margins. The plant used for this photograph is a 2year-old plant as grown in soil from a billet section.

The photograph on FIG. 3 is a close-up view of a clum segment showing adark purple band below the node section. The plant used for thisphotograph is a 2 year-old plant as grown in soil from a billet section.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available. The color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Arundodonax cultivar ‘Nile Fiber.’

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar ‘Nile Fiber’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variation in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein isStanford VIS Group Color Dictionary(http://vis.stanford.edu/color-names/dictionary), except where generalcolor terms of ordinary significance are used. Plants used in thefollowing description were grown in an outdoor trial bed for three yearsfrom a billet section in Kailua-Kona, Hi.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Nile Fiber’ is a cultivar of Arundo    donax.-   Commercial classification: Nile Fiber giant reed grass.-   Parentage: Naturally occurring cane sport of Arundo donax.-   General description:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Blooms in August to November.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous, clump-forming, perennial ornamental            grass with a fountain-like form and pendant foliage. Initial            growth is un-branched until mature height is reached in late            summer, branching at all cane nodes subsequently occur to            create a bushy habit.        -   Height and spread.—10 to 15 meters in height with a spread            of 3 to 5 meters in 2 to 3 years when planted from a billet            section. Extreme, robust vigor.        -   Hardiness.—Zone 4.        -   Culture.—Growth is best when grown in moist soil in full            sun.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests that affect Arundo donax has been            observed.        -   Root description.—Short, knotty rhizomes with fibrous roots.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Tissue culture and cane cuttings, canes from            immature or mature shoots. 8 mm to 1.25 cm in diameter are            stripped of foliage and allowed to float in aerated water            kept at 75 to 80° F. The germination rates of nodal sections            and ramets are at least 95% from the entire culm length.        -   Time required for root initiation.—Rooted cane cuttings are            fully developed in soil. It takes approximately 7 to 14 days            to emerge and 21 to 28 days until cuttings can be taken.        -   Time required for root development.—Rooted cane cuttings            will fully develop in the soil in 30 to 40 days when grown            outdoors at night temperatures between 65 to 80° F. Night            temperatures below 65° F. result in slower growth.-   Culm (stem) description: Round, sheathed, and hollow when mature;    thick, short, branched rhizomes; culms arising from large knotty    creeping rootstock, terete, 2-4 cm in diameter, smooth, hollow,    reed-like, many-noded, often with a white scurf; dark purple    (#3a1a34) band below each node section; wall thickness 10-14 mm-   Foliage description: Leaves numerous, blades flat, smooth, 30-70 cm    long, 2-7.5 cm broad on main stem, glaucous-green, drooping,    tapering to a fine point, lack of serrations on leaf margins;    leaf-sheaths tightly cordate-clasping, hairy tufted at base; ligules    truncate, 1-2 mm long, short-ciliate.-   Inflorescence description: Panicle erect, large, contracted,    feathery with silky hairs, light brown or yellowish-brown, 30-70 cm    long, whitish with purple hue, slightly lustrous, branches scabrous;    spikelets 8-16 mm long, 2-7-flowered; florets all bisexual except    the reduced uppermost one; glumes equal, narrowly lanceolate,    acuminate, 3-nerved, slightly longer than florets; lemmas    lanceolate, 7-10 mm long, 3-5-veined with shorter veinlets between,    2-toothed at apex, with long white hairs on back; awn between the    teeth at apex, 1-3 mm long, slender, erect; callus small, broadly    ovate, with short hairs 1.5-2 mm long on both sides; palea one-half    to two-thirds as long as lemma; anthers 2.5-3 mm long.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Arundo plant named ‘Nile Fiber’substantially as herein shown and described.